Clip for fastening articles in the form of sheets

ABSTRACT

A document clip according to the invention comprises a first plate, a parallel second plate connected at a connecting end to define a document insertion space between the plates in which are provided two groups of elastic retaining members each comprising a series of elastically flexible transverse blades oriented obliquely toward the connecting end. The elastic transverse retaining blades ensure good retention of documents in the form of sheets whilst allowing them to be withdrawn by movement in axial or transverse translation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the invention

[0002] The present invention relates to devices for temporarily holdingor fastening together documents in the form of sheets such as sheets ofpaper, memorandum sheets, enabling insertion and removal of one or moresheets.

[0003] 2. Description of the prior art

[0004] Already known in the art are various types of fasteners forcombining a plurality of sheets, including paperclips, pins and springclips. These means are not suitable for fixing to a wall, table or otherarticle to which the sheets must be temporarily fixed, however.

[0005] There is also known in the art, from the document EP 0 438 895 A,a document clip comprising a first plate and a second plate parallel tothe first plate from which it is separated by a particular documentinsertion space and to which it is connected at a connecting end to forma generally U-shaped structure. A first group of elastic retaining hairsinclined toward the connecting end project from an inside surface of thefirst plate toward the second plate. A second group of elastic retaininghairs inclined toward the connecting end project from an inside surfaceof the second plate toward the first plate. Documents in the form ofsheets can be inserted into the insertion space by movement inlongitudinal translation, which pushes the retaining hairs toward theconnecting end, causing them to flex. When sheets are withdrawn bypulling on them in the axial direction, the hairs flex in the otherdirection, away from the connecting end, and release the sheets whenthey have passed beyond an orientation perpendicular to the plates. Itis also possible to withdraw the sheets by movement in lateraltranslation. After the sheets have been withdrawn, the hairs resumesubstantially their original position, inclined toward the connectingend. A device of this kind is relatively satisfactory, but has thedrawback that the retention of documents in the form of sheets againstlongitudinal extraction traction away from the connecting end is ofteninsufficient. It does not seem to be possible to arrive at a goodcompromise between good retention of sheets against a longitudinalextraction force, easy insertion of sheets against the return force ofthe elastic hairs, and sufficient return of the elastic hairs towardtheir rest position after they have been flipped over by applyinglongitudinal traction to documents in the form of sheets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The problem addressed by the present invention is therefore thatof designing a document clip structure of the type described in thedocument EP 0 438 895 A but having an increased force to retain thesheets against a longitudinal extraction force, ensuring good return ofthe elastic members toward their rest position after extraction ofsheets in the longitudinal direction, and ensuring easy and smoothlongitudinal insertion of documents in the form of sheets by movement intranslation.

[0007] The aim is thus to provide a document clip that is very smooth inuse whilst ensuring more reliable retention of the sheets.

[0008] To achieve the above and other objects, the invention provides adocument clip including:

[0009] a first plate,

[0010] a second plate parallel to the first plate, from which it isseparated by a document insertion space, and to which it is connected ata connecting end to form a generally U-shaped structure,

[0011] a first group of elastic retaining members projecting from aninside surface of the first plate toward the second plate and inclinedtoward the connecting end, and

[0012] a second group of elastic retaining members projecting from aninside surface of the second plate toward the first plate and inclinedtoward the connecting end;

[0013] according to the invention the first and second groups of elasticretaining members are elastically flexible transverse blades.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, at rest, the transverse blades areinclined at an angle from 50° to 60°, advantageously approximately 55°.

[0015] In a practical embodiment, the transverse blades areapproximately 1 mm thick. They can be approximately 5 mm long.

[0016] The transverse blades preferably have a beveled free end definingan end facet substantially parallel to the plates.

[0017] Transverse blades can be designed whose free end is rectilinear.

[0018] However, better results are obtained by providing the free end ofthe transverse blades with longitudinal cuts distributed across thewidth of the clip.

[0019] The transverse blades can advantageously be fastened to a basefixed, for example glued, to the inside surface of the correspondingplate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Other objects, features and advantages of the present inventionwill emerge from the following description of particular embodiments ofthe invention, which is given with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

[0021]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a document clipaccording to the invention;

[0022]FIG. 2 is a front view of the clip shown in FIG. 1;

[0023]FIG. 3 is a side view of the clip shown in FIG. 1;

[0024]FIG. 4 is a side view in longitudinal section taken along the lineI-I in FIG. 1;

[0025]FIG. 5 is a side view showing the two plates prior to assembly;

[0026]FIG. 6 is a plan view of a group of elastically flexibletransverse blades conforming to one embodiment of the invention;

[0027]FIG. 7 is a side view of the group of blades shown in FIG. 6;

[0028]FIG. 8 is a front view of an elastically flexible transverse bladeconforming to an advantageous embodiment of the invention;

[0029]FIG. 9 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a document clipaccording to the invention;

[0030]FIG. 10 is a front view of the clip shown in FIG. 9;

[0031]FIG. 11 is a side view of the clip shown in FIG. 10;

[0032]FIG. 12 is a side view showing the two plates prior to assembly;and

[0033]FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing how the document clipaccording to the invention is used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the document clipaccording to the invention comprises a first plate 1, for example ofgenerally rectangular shape with rounded corners, as shown in FIG. 1,and a second plate 2 parallel to the first plate 1 and separatedtherefrom by a document insertion space 3. The second plate 2 isconnected to the first plate 1 at a connecting end 4 to form a generallyU-shaped structure as seen from the side.

[0035] Accordingly, in the FIG. 3 side view, the document insertionspace 3 is delimited by the two plates 1 and 2, and by the connectingend 4, leaving a longitudinal insertion opening 5 (FIG. 3) and twotransverse insertion openings 6 and 7 (FIG. 2).

[0036] A first group of elastic retaining members 8 inclined toward theconnecting end 4 projects from an inside surface 9 of the first plate 1toward the second plate 2. Similarly, a second group of elasticretaining members 10 inclined toward the connecting end 4 projects froman inside surface 11 of the second plate 2 toward the first plate 1.

[0037] The plates 1 and 2 have respective facing inclined facets 12 and13 in the vicinity of the longitudinal insertion opening 5, constitutinga flared opening to facilitate longitudinal insertion of documents inthe form of sheets. Similarly, as seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the firstplate 1 is slightly longer than the second plate 2, and therefore has alonger front lip 14.

[0038] The groups of elastic retaining members 8 and 10 comprisetransverse blades fastened to a base. Accordingly, as seen more clearlyin FIGS. 4 and 6 to 8, the first group of elastic retaining members 8comprises a rectangular base 15 to which are fixed six transverse blades16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16 d, 16 e and 16 f which are generally parallel toeach other, and inclined to the base 15 at an angle A from approximately50° to approximately 60°, advantageously approximately 55°. Thetransverse blades 16 a-16 f are approximately 1 mm thick.

[0039] Similarly, the transverse blades 16 a-16 f can advantageously beapproximately 5 mm long, in the usual case of document clips intended tohold about fifteen sheets.

[0040] Each base, for example the base 15, is glued into a correspondingrecess on the inside surface 9 of the first plate 1 (or the second plate2).

[0041] In the embodiment shown in longitudinal section in FIG. 4, whenthe device is at rest, the free ends of the transverse blades 16 a-16 fassociated with the first plate 1 bear lightly and elastically on thefree ends of the corresponding transverse blades of the second group ofelastic retaining members 10 on the second plate 2.

[0042] The transverse blades, for example the transverse blades 16 a inFIG. 7, have their free end 16 a 1 beveled, defining an end facetsubstantially parallel to the plate 1 or 2. Note that this arrangementmaximizes the surface area of contact of the transverse blades with adocument in the form of sheets inserted into the clip.

[0043] The plates 1 and 2 can be made, for example molded, from a rigidplastics material such as ABS.

[0044] In contrast, the transverse blades 16 a-16 f are made from anelastomer, enabling them to flex elastically when a sheet is insertedinto the document insertion space 3.

[0045] Good results are obtained by making the transverse blades 16 a-16f from an elastomer such as TPE SANTOPRENE.

[0046] The transverse blades 16 a-16 f are advantageously molded in onepiece with the corresponding base 15.

[0047] The two plates 1 and 2 can clip together. For example, as shownin FIG. 5, at the connecting end 4, female clipping means 1 a on thefirst plate 1 cooperate with male clipping means 2 a on the second plate2, and the clipping means have corresponding bearing faces 1 b and 2 bwhich bear on each other when the two plates 1 and 2 are clippedtogether at the connecting end 4.

[0048] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the transverse blades16 a-16 f have a continuous end facet forming a rectilinear edge at theend.

[0049] In the advantageous embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the free end 16 a1 of the transverse blade 16 a incorporates longitudinal cuts, forexample the cut 16 a 2, distributed across the width of the clip. Thisimproves the adhesion of the transverse blades to a sheet inserted inthe clip.

[0050] The embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 to 12 has the same components asthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, and additionally a pen or pencilclip. Elements that are a feature of both embodiments are identified bythe same reference numbers, and it is therefore not necessary todescribe them again.

[0051] The only difference in this second embodiment is the presence ofa pen or pencil clip 17 on the posterior face 18 of the connecting end4. The pen or pencil clip 17 can be a C-shaped section, for example,with an opening 19, and having an appropriate elasticity so that it canspread apart radially on inserting a pen or pencil into the posterioropening 19 and thereby retain the pen or pencil once inserted.

[0052] In both embodiments, the first plate 1 can advantageously have onits outside surface 20, an adhesive surface 21 for fixing it to a fixedarticle such as walls, tables, etc. The adhesive surface 21 ispreferably repositionable, which is achieved by an appropriate layer ofrepositionable adhesive.

[0053]FIG. 13 shows how the clip according to the invention is used. Adocument 22 in the form of sheets can be inserted by movement inlongitudinal translation 23 between the plates 1 and 2. As can be seenin FIG. 4, for example, during this movement in translation, thedocument in the form of sheets pushes the elastic blades of the groupsof elastic retaining members 8 and 10 elastically toward the connectingend 4, the elastic blades continuing to bear on both sides of thedocument in the form of sheets. Thereafter, if traction is exerted onthe document in the form of sheets in the opposite direction, to extractit longitudinally (arrow 23), the free ends of the transverse bladesadhere to both sides of the sheet, and the stronger the sheet is pulledthe stronger the free end facets of the transverse blades bear on theopposite sides of the document in the form of sheets. Because they arein the form of transverse blades, the groups of elastic retainingmembers produce a high retaining force. It is nevertheless possible, bypulling on the sheets sufficiently strongly, to extract the sheets bymovement in longitudinal translation in the reverse direction (arrow23), without damaging the groups of elastic retaining members 8 and 10.These one flex in the direction away from the connecting end 4, and thenresume their rest position after extraction of the sheet.

[0054] It is also possible to remove the sheets 22 by movement intranslation in a transverse direction 24, as shown in FIG. 13.

[0055] It is also possible to remove the sheets by movement intranslation in an intermediate direction between the longitudinaldirection 23 and the transverse direction 24.

[0056] Once a document has been inserted into the clip according to theinvention, it is retained very strongly.

[0057] Despite this strong retaining force, documents can be insertedand withdrawn with one hand and by a simple gesture.

[0058] The clip according to the invention does not damage thedocuments, and leaves no trace either on the documents or on the surfacechosen to receive the clip.

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments that havebeen explicitly described, but encompasses variants and generalizationsthereof within the scope of the following claims.

There is claimed:
 1. A document clip including: a first plate, a secondplate parallel to the first plate, from which it is separated by adocument insertion space, and to which it is connected at a connectingend to form a generally U-shaped structure, a first group of elasticretaining members projecting from an inside surface of the first platetoward the second plate and inclined toward the connecting end at anangle A, a second group of elastic retaining members projecting from aninside surface of the second plate toward the first plate and inclinedtoward the connecting end at an angle A, wherein the first and secondgroups of elastic retaining members are elastically flexible transverseblades.
 2. A clip according to claim 1, wherein, at rest, the transverseblades are inclined at an angle A from 50° to 60°, advantageouslyapproximately 55°.
 3. A clip according to claim 1, wherein thetransverse blades are approximately 1 mm thick.
 4. A clip according toclaim 1, wherein the transverse blades are approximately 5 mm long.
 5. Aclip according to claim 1, wherein the transverse blades have a beveledfree end defining an end facet substantially parallel to the plates. 6.A clip according to claim 1, wherein the free end of the transverseblades includes longitudinal cuts distributed across the width of theclip.
 7. A clip according to claim 1, wherein the transverse blades arefastened to a base fixed to the inside surface of the correspondingplate.
 8. A clip according to claim 1, wherein the plates are made froma rigid plastics material such as ABS.
 9. A clip according to claim 1,wherein the transverse blades are made from an elastomer.
 10. A clipaccording to claim 9, wherein the transverse blades are made from TPESANTOPRENE.